{"product_id":"9780692685778","title":"Debt and Circuses: Protecting Business Owners From Their Enemies, Their Allies, and Themselves","description":"Communication strategies, financial crisis management, negotiation techniques, and litigation and bankruptcy tactics told through the stories of a loan workout and financial restructuring consultant.\u003cp\u003eHow do you protect yourself, or your clients, or your family and friends from aggressive creditors, lawsuits, and bureaucracy? When do you need protection from the advice of your own advisors and friends? Debt \u0026amp; Circuses is a true story of seven years of loan workouts, lawsuits, and bankruptcies during the Great Recession (2009-2015) and beyond.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDebt \u0026amp; Circuses explains real-world negotiation strategy and courtroom tactics through the true stories of finance and accounting advisors, lawyers, and courageous entrepreneurs who followed the counter-intuitive, asymmetrical, and risky advice of a few creative consultants. Debt \u0026amp; Circuses demonstrates, through first-hand experiences, effective methods of: \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePreparing the mind (and your assets) for conflict. \u003cbr\u003eCoping with emotional pressure tactics. \u003cbr\u003eResponding to unreasonable demands constructively. \u003cbr\u003eUnderstanding why victory or defeat in court can be irrelevant. \u003cbr\u003ePreventing the two things that produce an unfavorable outcome. \u003cbr\u003eNegotiating with inferior bargaining power. \u003cbr\u003eGoing on offense against an opponent with unlimited resources. \u003cbr\u003eCapitalizing on bureaucratic failures.\u003cbr\u003eAvoiding the big mistake made by all companies in financial distress.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eClay Westbrook is an attorney and consultant who spent six years involved with over 100 loan workout cases, dozens of lawsuits and business bankruptcies, and $100s of millions of bad debts. He advises clients on business breakups, litigation and bankruptcy strategy, and negotiating with taxing authorities and governmental entities.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHe saw many spectacular wins in unlikely circumstances, learned valuable lessons from a few disappointing losses, and drew inspiration to tell the story from one woman's experiences with debt collectors that destroyed her family and her future.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"'The mortgage company told us that we weren't allowed to file for bankruptcy. They said it wasn't an option,' Maria explained.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe didn't realize what this meant. The mortgage company didn't just lie to them; they violated state and federal laws in doing so. We might have had a case, or at least an issue to run with, which is usually enough. But it was too late.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe consultants quickly learn that to save their clients, they have to forget about \"doing the right thing,\"forget about the legal merits of the case, and forget about logic. The solutions come from psychology and math, human nature, and realizing neither side understands (nor cares) what the other side is saying.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"After witnessing it firsthand many times, accomplishing the impossible takes specific knowledge, character, and action. As simple as it sounds, you rarely see all three when the cards are down. If they don't have all three, they lose.\" \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAchieving success against long odds is more than \"when to stop paying,\" or \"if the bank files a lawsuit,cut your settlement offer,\" or remembering to stash the Ferrari at a covered garage in Reno if the bank gets a judgment. Debt \u0026amp; Circuses shows:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHow to know and have the confidence to trust your instincts under pressure.\u003cbr\u003eHow human nature affects the strategies and results conflicts are never \"just business\" and are always personal.\u003cbr\u003eWays to identify and avoid traps lawyers, advisors, and others miss.\u003cbr\u003eThe one principle that explains the entire process.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThrough the experiences of business owners and advisors, and the entertaining, if not ridiculous,stranger-than- fiction situations in which these people found themselves, Debt \u0026amp; Circuses provides essential knowledge and skills for surviving financial distress, and serving clients whose future depends upon your advice.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"You are not alone. Don't be frightened, and don't feel hopeless. We will never, ever give up.\"\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ascent Strategy Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49893631066352,"sku":"9780692685778","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9780692685778","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}